Good waves

More flashbacks to summer, as I clean out my camera. Most of the week had a very calm (read boring) ocean, with hardly a ripple of waves at all. But on this particular day, the waves were pretty good. They started out small (like these), but by then end of the day, they were HUGE!! You only get to see the small waves, because once they became any respectable size to enjoy -- I spend the rest of the day in them! 

Reading Plaques

I like visiting museums, historical sites, and other touristy places. I love to take the time to stop and read all the signs -- every last one of them. My wife (aka The Warden) hates that about me. This is the woman who, after I paid $16 for her admission ticket, toured the entire building top to bottom in less than 15 minutes. Me? I was still on the first floor, looking at the penquins, reading the sign about the penquins natural habitats, their care and feeding at the aquarium, etc. I'll never be able to take the family to the Smithsonian, at least not with her in tow. :-) 

Portland Headlight

Portland Headlight. This is not a B&W photograph of Portland headlight, but I'm excited that it turned out looking like it was. The sky was gray and overcast, the headlight itself is painted all white with black trim. The effect was photograph that looks B&W, without my having to fiddle with any settings on my camera (which I still don't know how to do) or doctor anything up in Photoshop (which I know very well how to do, but the purist in me wants to keep my pictures as clean as possible -- no photoshop magic).

Rock, Table, Chairs

 

On the Rocks

On the rocks, at the Two Lights Clam Shack. I think it's actually called the Two Lights Restaurant, but any place that gives you a number, announces your order on a big loudspeaker so you can be heard among the throng of patrons waiting outside, and has more table space outside (picnic tables at that) than inside is not a seafood restaurant. It's a clam shack!

We love this place, because it's right on the water, and you can crawl on the rocks while waiting for your order. On this trip, we brought our good friend Zachery Moore (who stayed at the beach for an extra few days with us). And it was a bit of a disappointment when our number was called, becuase it called an end to rock climbing ... at least until our next visit. 

The Biggest Sand Castle EVER!!!

It started with a reasonable idea in my 8-year old son's thinking. To make a really BIG sand castle, you need a really BIG pail. I watched with mild amusement as they took the big green bucket (which we use to ferry toys to and from the beach), and started filling it with sand.

"This is going to be the biggest sand castle EVER!"

"Don't use the dry sand, it's too dry."

It took them about 10 minutes to fill the bucket up with sand, pack it down hard, and then fill it again. Heavy, wet sand -- it probably wieghed well over 150 pounds -- and when the Engineers went to turn it upside down, to make the foundation of their castle, they realized it was too heavy.

"Push!!!"

"No Puuuuuullllll."

Kodak moments. 

Where are the waves?

This beach scene is typical of those on our vacation -- a calm, flat ocean with no waves. I hate it when that happens. Me? I like it when the ocean is angry (if not mildly annoyed), with 6' - 8' waves that pick you up and smash you back down. Waves that are so huge, you can't jump over them, and even when try to dive through them, it feels like you're diving through a brick wall.

We had ONE day with waves like that, but most of the days were more like this one -- which worked out great for the kids!